Far from home and out of his typical political environment, Gov. Gavin Newsom this week wrapped up his tour of Republican-led states thousands of miles away from California, a trip that drew mixed reactions from the leaders within those states depending on their party affiliation. How did those governors react? “There’s a reason why Gavin Newsom never focuses on the problems he’s caused in his own state,” said Alexa Henning, a spokesperson for Republican Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “California residents are experiencing sky-high rent, but Governor Sanders is living rent-free in his head.” Arkansas was one of four states Newsom visited in the launch of his new political action committee, which is meant to promote Democrats in Republican-led states. Newsom also stopped by Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. “Governor DeSantis is committed to getting Florida’s public institutions of higher learning refocused on academics and truth. Stunts from political opponents don’t matter and have no effect,” said Jeremy T. Redfern, a deputy press secretary for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Newsom’s stops highlighted on Instagram show photos of him at a college in Florida, a high school in Arkansas and a Baptist Church in Mississippi. “Tourism helps drive Mississippi’s economy and I am glad to welcome Governor Newsom to our state,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement, who criticized the governor’s pandemic-related lockdowns on businesses and schools and his stance on social issues. “His policy views are everything that’s wrong with the national Democratic Party.”How did Democrats in those states respond?Newsom met with members of Alabama’s Legislative Democratic Caucus, where lawmakers in that group said they were appreciative of his support. “I think it’s phenomenal, the governor visiting various states, building relationships at the grassroots level,” said Democratic Rep. Anthony Daniels, Alabama’s first Black person to be elected House minority leader. “We had some strong and really good conversations and very valid conversations.”Less than 20 years ago, Alabama was considered a “blue” state, led by Democrats. Now, the state is considered one of the most conservative in the country. Daniels noted Alabama’s Democratic Party has been diminished by a lack of money and manpower. What do Democrats in Alabama need most? Is it money? Is it someone like Gavin Newsom to take on the national culture wars? “I think it’s a little bit of both,” Daniels said. “The basic things other people take for granted are the things we need to build a strong foundation. The lack of investment in Alabama and in places like Alabama — it makes leaders like myself be the go-to person for everything. It’s very tiring, very tough when you don’t have staff and support staff on the official side and the political side.”Daniels said the Democratic Party has had success in the Alabama Legislature, including Democratic-driven discussions on eliminating taxes on groceries and overtime pay, which he says will help reframe and reshape messaging for working people. He said other efforts include the creation of a political action committee that focuses on issues that are important to Democratic voters and an effort to raise money for field organizers to help protect Democratic incumbents. Daniels acknowledged his voters are different from the Democratic California voters that elected Newsom. “The mere fact that he is going to other states will help him put things into perspective,” he said.What do political experts make of the red state response to Newsom?”I think what’s in Gavin Newsom’s best interest is to be a national figure to take the fight wherever things go,” said NBC political director and moderator of “Meet the Press,” Chuck Todd. Todd said the new Democratic Party chairwoman, Nikki Fried, seemed welcoming of some of Newsom’s messaging while noting Florida is not California. “The way Californians might want to be governed is not the way Floridians want to be governed, and the California Democratic Party may be a different flavor than the Florida Democratic Party,” Todd said. “I think the Democratic Party chair in Florida has a point: Policies that are popular in California wouldn’t be popular in Florida even among Florida Democrats, and I think that’s the point some of these Democratic leaders in other states were trying to make sure Governor Newsom knew that when he came to other states.”
Far from home and out of his typical political environment, Gov. Gavin Newsom this week wrapped up his tour of Republican-led states thousands of miles away from California, a trip that drew mixed reactions from the leaders within those states depending on their party affiliation.
How did those governors react?
“There’s a reason why Gavin Newsom never focuses on the problems he’s caused in his own state,” said Alexa Henning, a spokesperson for Republican Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “California residents are experiencing sky-high rent, but Governor Sanders is living rent-free in his head.”
Arkansas was one of four states Newsom visited in the launch of his new political action committee, which is meant to promote Democrats in Republican-led states. Newsom also stopped by Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
“Governor DeSantis is committed to getting Florida’s public institutions of higher learning refocused on academics and truth. Stunts from political opponents don’t matter and have no effect,” said Jeremy T. Redfern, a deputy press secretary for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Newsom’s stops highlighted on Instagram show photos of him at a college in Florida, a high school in Arkansas and a Baptist Church in Mississippi.
“Tourism helps drive Mississippi’s economy and I am glad to welcome Governor Newsom to our state,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement, who criticized the governor’s pandemic-related lockdowns on businesses and schools and his stance on social issues. “His policy views are everything that’s wrong with the national Democratic Party.”
How did Democrats in those states respond?
Newsom met with members of Alabama’s Legislative Democratic Caucus, where lawmakers in that group said they were appreciative of his support.
“I think it’s phenomenal, the governor visiting various states, building relationships at the grassroots level,” said Democratic Rep. Anthony Daniels, Alabama’s first Black person to be elected House minority leader. “We had some strong and really good conversations and very valid conversations.”
Less than 20 years ago, Alabama was considered a “blue” state, led by Democrats. Now, the state is considered one of the most conservative in the country. Daniels noted Alabama’s Democratic Party has been diminished by a lack of money and manpower.
What do Democrats in Alabama need most? Is it money? Is it someone like Gavin Newsom to take on the national culture wars? “I think it’s a little bit of both,” Daniels said. “The basic things other people take for granted are the things we need to build a strong foundation. The lack of investment in Alabama and in places like Alabama — it makes leaders like myself be the go-to person for everything. It’s very tiring, very tough when you don’t have staff and support staff on the official side and the political side.”
Daniels said the Democratic Party has had success in the Alabama Legislature, including Democratic-driven discussions on eliminating taxes on groceries and overtime pay, which he says will help reframe and reshape messaging for working people. He said other efforts include the creation of a political action committee that focuses on issues that are important to Democratic voters and an effort to raise money for field organizers to help protect Democratic incumbents.
Daniels acknowledged his voters are different from the Democratic California voters that elected Newsom.
“The mere fact that he is going to other states will help him put things into perspective,” he said.
What do political experts make of the red state response to Newsom?
“I think what’s in Gavin Newsom’s best interest is to be a national figure to take the fight wherever things go,” said NBC political director and moderator of “Meet the Press,” Chuck Todd.
Todd said the new Democratic Party chairwoman, Nikki Fried, seemed welcoming of some of Newsom’s messaging while noting Florida is not California.
“The way Californians might want to be governed is not the way Floridians want to be governed, and the California Democratic Party may be a different flavor than the Florida Democratic Party,” Todd said. “I think the Democratic Party chair in Florida has a point: Policies that are popular in California wouldn’t be popular in Florida even among Florida Democrats, and I think that’s the point some of these Democratic leaders in other states were trying to make sure Governor Newsom knew that when he came to other states.”
